Reliable Auto DB

2016 Tesla Model S reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Warning light, Instrument cluster, and Self-driving, software. NHTSA's complaint API returns no filings for the 2016 Model S, including years that have recalls on file, so a complaint count isn't shown. Recalls are tracked separately.

2014 Tesla Model S
Photo by Ank Kumar, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Tesla Model S. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (10)

Recall seat belts, front, warning light 2024-05-28 · NHTSA campaign 24V376000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2024-01-30 · NHTSA campaign 24V051000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Remedy Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Recall electrical system, driver assistance, self-driving, software 2023-12-12 · NHTSA campaign 23V838000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Remedy Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Recall steering, adaptive steering 2023-02-15 · NHTSA campaign 23V085000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Remedy Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Recall electrical system, driver assistance, self-driving, software 2022-01-27 · NHTSA campaign 22V037000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Remedy Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2021-12-21 · NHTSA campaign 21V00B000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2014-2021 Model S vehicles. The front trunk latch assembly may be misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 113, "Hood Latch System."
Remedy Tesla Service will inspect and reposition the latch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 18, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-11-003.
Recall back-over prevention, software 2021-01-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V035000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
Remedy Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-01-07 · NHTSA campaign 19V002000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2014-2016 Model S vehicles equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Remedy Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-19-20-001.
Recall Electric power steering 2018-03-29 · NHTSA campaign 18V204000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
Remedy Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.
Recall Parking brake 2017-04-19 · NHTSA campaign 17V260000
Summary Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
Remedy Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.

NHTSA's complaint API returns no filings for the 2016 Model S, including years that have recalls on file, so a complaint count isn't shown. Recalls are tracked separately.

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Tesla Model S 60 5 HB RWD Early Release 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 60 5 HB RWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 60D 5 HB AWD Early Release Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 60D 5 HB AWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 70 5 HB RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 70D 5 HB AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 75 5 HB RWD Early Release 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 75 5 HB RWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 75D 5 HB AWD Early Release Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 75D 5 HB AWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 85 5 HB RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 85D 5 HB AWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 90 5 HB RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 90D 5 HB AWD Early Release Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S 90D 5 HB AWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S P100D 5 HB AWD Early Release Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S P100D 5 HB AWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S P85D 5 HB AWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S P90D 5 HB AWD Early Release Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Tesla Model S P90D 5 HB AWD Later Release Not rated Not rated Not rated 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Model S (60 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Rear-wheel drive 98 101 99 MPG / 210 mi range $750
Model S (70 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Rear-wheel drive 88 90 89 MPG / 234 mi range $850
Model S (75 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Rear-wheel drive 97 100 98 MPG / 249 mi range $750
Model S (85 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Rear-wheel drive 88 90 89 MPG / 265 mi range $850
Model S (90 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Rear-wheel drive 88 90 89 MPG / 265 mi range $850
Model S all-wheel drive - 60D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 101 107 104 MPG / 218 mi range $700
Model S all-wheel drive - 70D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 101 102 101 MPG / 240 mi range $750
Model S all-wheel drive - 75D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 102 105 103 MPG / 259 mi range $750
Model S all-wheel drive - 85D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 95 106 100 MPG / 270 mi range $750
Model S all-wheel drive - 90D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 101 107 103 MPG / 294 mi range $750
Model S all-wheel drive - P100D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 92 105 98 MPG / 315 mi range $800
Model S all-wheel drive - P85D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 89 98 93 MPG / 253 mi range $800
Model S all-wheel drive - P90D — Automatic (1-speed) All-wheel drive 91 100 95 MPG / 270 mi range $800

Specs and fitment

Pre-refresh, 2012–2020
Body styles Sedan
Tire size P245/45R19 (19"); P245/35R21 (21") front / P245/45R19 (19"); P265/35R21 (21", some Performance AWD use P245/35R21 rear) rear

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 21V-035 covers certain 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles whose center display uses an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an 8GB eMMC NAND flash device: when that flash reaches lifetime wear, some center-display functions can fail, including the rearview camera display, defrost/defog controls, and exterior turn-signal lighting. Tesla's remedy is to replace the VCM daughterboard with one that has an enhanced eMMC controller. Recall 22V-818 covers certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles whose electronic power-assist steering may lose assist on rough roads or after a pothole; Tesla released an over-the-air software update to recalibrate the EPAS system. Recall 23V-838 covers Model S vehicles (among other Tesla models) equipped with Autosteer versions leading up to the remedy software: NHTSA states that, when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 feature, and Tesla's remedy is an over-the-air software update.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Tesla Model S reliable?

NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Warning light, Instrument cluster, and Self-driving, software. NHTSA's complaint API returns no filings for the 2016 Model S, including years that have recalls on file, so a complaint count isn't shown. Recalls are tracked separately.

Has the 2016 Tesla Model S been recalled?

The 2016 Tesla Model S has 10 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

What mpg does a 2016 Tesla Model S get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Tesla Model S is 97 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2018 Tesla Model S?

Pre-refresh (2012-2020), before the 2021 Palladium interior and Plaid redesign.

Can a US-market Tesla Model S tow a trailer?

Tesla's US owner's manual for 2012-2020 Model S warns not to use the car for towing and states it does not support a trailer hitch; there is no published US factory towing rating.